She Has Your Eyes

Part One

Part One

A handkerchief moves from a pocket. The soft fabric slides across a tired forehead. Looking up, tired eyes squint at the unrelenting sun. The fabric runs over his nose and mouth before finding its hiding place back within the jacket pocket of his navy suit. Too hot to be this covered. Too hot to be standing outside on the pavement. Too hot to be standing at all.

Eyes move from the ghastly sun to the pavement. They can't help but follow the light as it dances off of the tiny pebbles. A diagonal step barely puts him underneath the overhang of the outdoor theatre. A quick glance at his back confirms what he could feel, that half of his body is shaded, while the other half is lit by the sun.

A breath in through the nose. Hold. A gentle release. He closes his eyes and attempts to concentrate on a single thought as he continues to breathe in and let it out. Slowly. Evenly. Over and over.

The concentration is broken as another person bumps into him. As soon as he looks up to make contact with the person, a harsh cough takes over his system. A hand immediately flies up to his mouth. He steps back into the powerful sun and attempts another deep breath. Cough. A shake of his head as the coughing refuses to leave his system. He pulls out a small bottle of water and takes a long sip. Another deep breath and finally, it ceases.

The handkerchief comes out again, as he moves back to his spot. He blinks to readjust his eyes to the darkness of the theatre and attempts to focus on the speech being given by a tall, thin boy. The message is of hope, of accomplishment, of the future. Students cheer and raise their hands, as the young gentleman takes his seat again and a lady comes to the podium. Yet another speech of accomplishment, this one shorter than the rest, and she begins to pronounce the names from her list- slowly, carefully. His eyes watch as her lips move, a student stands up and moves across the stage, and returns to their seat. Over and over again this occurs.

Over and over.

Girl. Then boy. Girl in white robe. Then boy in maroon robe.

Finally, the moment arrives. The reason he is sweating his ass off. Her nerves are getting the best of her, he can tell. He can see, even from his spot on the side, that her butt is nearly off the chair in anticipation. That her eyes are moving from the announcer, to her principal, to the student walking, back to the floor in a constant circle. And that her right fingers are twisting her left a bit harder – a habit her mother always possessed.

Letting out a nervous breath that he didn't realize he was holding, he smiles as he sees her begin to stand up. The speaker's voice echos, "Isabella J. B- -"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Moving through the crowd of students, parents, family members, and siblings, he finds himself naturally smiling and letting out a soft "Congratulations" to the kids in white and maroon robes.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Excuse me" is said to one adult as he accidentally steps into their path, causing a quick halt in both of their journeys. Sidestepping him, he continues on his way. His hand reaches up to cover a cough. Where his destination is in this mess is unknown.

As soon as the last name was called, the last speech was completed and everybody was thanked for coming out and dealing with them for the long hours in the obscene weather, the hundreds of people immediately stood up and flowed out of the open theatre. He can't move quickly and therefore, he should have started to head out of the theater before the bitter end, but she and another bubbly young lady conducted the tassel instructions and declared themselves and their classmates officially graduated. His brain worked so hard to remember every nervous stutter and excited smile as she helped to ask the students to stand, move the tassel from right to left, and toss her own cap into the air. It was her excited squeal as she tossed her cap, but then the slight look of concern as it landed near the administrators that captured his heart. Eight seconds that he will replay in his mind for as long as he can. It was this, being so caught up in watching her scramble to find her cap and get off the stage that made him forget to get ahead of the crowds.